Method and apparatus for management of a global wireless sensor network

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus for global wireless sensor network architecture and protocol for remote supervision, asset control and operational management based on localized clusters of autonomous sensor/supervision/operational sensor nodes capable of ad hoc interconnection with nearby nodes and connection to gateway nodes with increased network functionality. These localized cluster nodes send data to gateway nodes either directly or through multi-hop transactions. The gateway nodes are, in turn, connected to other gateway nodes and operations control centers either through wireless or wired data communications links. Utilizing the Internet for long range interconnectivity, the network is scaleable to a global level. The resulting network is based on an ad hoc mesh topology to allow flexibility in network modification and expansion and is comprised of a tiered structure defined by increasing functionality. A current application for this technology is the remote control and supervision of lighting systems for facilities and municipalities on a local, national and/or global basis from centralized regional operations centers.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patentapplication No. 60/869,076, filed Dec. 7, 2006, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/687,030filed on Mar. 16, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,983,685 which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wireless network architecture andprotocol for widely distributed sensor nodes that can be expandedglobally for remote supervision, asset control and operationalmanagement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Low data rate communication systems have spanned across manytechnologies including land mobile radio, cellular, satellite,point-to-point wireless and even wired POTS systems. The high cost ofimplementing these solutions has limited high volume, wide areadeployment for low data rate solutions. The high cost is due to “lastmile” implementation including controller unit, dedicated links andservice fees.

The prior art communications systems for sensors that detect and trackevents are large and expensive so they cannot be widely distributed in acost effective manner. Further, event detection is heavily dependent onthe characteristics of the sensors attached to the radios. Further, mostexisting sensors are limited in detection range and can only be deployedin a limited number. Limiting the number of nodes make sensor eventdetection difficult, and the high cost of radio nodes makes widedeployment financially prohibitive. Recent sensor research has resultedin reducing sensor size and cost so that a global sensor network forpre- and post-event supervision and reporting is now feasible. However,these sensors need a reliable wireless network to process and distributesensor data to central operation centers for supervision and control.

Thus, there is a need to develop cost effective sensor nodes with areliable wireless data network for collaborative detection, location,assessment, and tracking of events. A low cost, wireless network sensornode with long battery life that is capable of being deployed in manydifferent environments can achieve such a solution. A complete wirelesssensor network includes access points, or gateways, into existing datainfrastructure for reachback communications to command and controlcenters.

There are several issues with current wireless sensor networks whichneed to be addressed: scalability to provide a global network andselection of radio RF frequency and waveform. Automatic linkcommunications of each node is critical for cost effective deploymentfor a global network. There is no global spectrum allocated byinternational regulations or standard waveform identified, so a singleRF waveform solution is not feasible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A rapidly deployable, low cost wireless communication network for sensorapplications has been developed. An ad-hoc mesh network approachrepresents the fundamental networking topology. No fixed infrastructureis needed to be in place to support this architecture. The keydifference in this approach is that each node in the network effectively“creates” the infrastructure, acts as a “micro-router,” and passes datafrom unit to unit, to a gateway, and back to a central command location.This network provides the key aspects required for successfulimplementation of low cost communication operation.

This unique architecture provides scalability to >1 million nodesincluding a wireless radio node design based on wideband transceivertechnology and software defined radio technology that can supportmultiple waveforms and multiple RF frequency bands.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a mechanismfor a scaleable wireless sensor network having a three-tier structure ofsensor nodes to detect and track events. The scaleable wireless sensornetwork comprises widely distributed sensor nodes as part of wirelesslocal area networks (LAN) connected to a remote operations center viagateways with wide area network (WAN) interfaces. Each sensor nodeincludes a wideband transceiver and software defined radio to supportoperation on licensed and unlicensed spectrum for LAN's using commercialwireless or proprietary protocols. The wireless LAN is deployedinitially with commercial unlicensed spectrum and then can betransitioned to licensed spectrum as it becomes available.

In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the presentinvention provides the best waveforms for a widely distributed sensornetwork comprising wireless operation for a local area network (WLAN)101, and wireless and/or wireline operation for a wide area network(WAN) 102. The WLAN 102 provides communications between local sensornodes 104 and a gateway node 105 that supports both the WLAN waveformand the WAN waveform. The WAN 102 provides communications from thegateway nodes 105 to a Network Operations Center 203 (FIG. 2) forcommand and control. The operations center collects data from all of thesensor nodes, performs an assessment and then makes decisions based onthe results.

In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the presentinvention includes Sensor Node Management function 205 that providessupervision, status and control that is unique to the operation ofmultiple WLAN 101 clusters. All standard network management functionsare handled by Network Operations Center 203 and customer specificmanagement functions are handled by Customer Management 204.

No single prior art WLAN waveform meets the spectrum availability anddata link reliability necessary for a nationwide or global network.Therefore, the system and method of the present invention provide amulti-waveform sensor node that can support multiple wireless protocolsfor the WLAN 101 and multiple wireless and wireline protocols for theWAN 102. In a preferred embodiment, a common system and method supportsmultiple waveforms that are selected at installation or can bedownloaded over-the-air. This provides the flexibility to use anystandard waveform or proprietary waveform that fits within the designconstraints of the transceiver, processor and external interfaces.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following, more detailed description of preferredembodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichreference characters refer to the same parts throughout the variousviews.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages of the inventionwill be better understood from the following detailed description of theinvention with reference to the drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates the concept of sensor network deployment according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a network architecture according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a node architecture according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sensor node logical design according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that thefollowing descriptions are provided for purposes of illustration and notfor limitation. An artisan understands there are many variations thatlie within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims. Unnecessary detail of known functions and operations may beomitted from the current description so as not to obscure the presentinvention.

The wireless sensor network of the present invention comprisesmulti-waveform nodes and provides low cost, low power wireless links formultiple applications including energy management, Supervisory Controland Data Acquisition (SCADA), industrial automation and similarmachine-to-machine applications. In the event of a failure, locallybased personnel will be the first to respond. However, coordinators lackthe ability to detect, locate, assess, track, and respond to events.Therefore, coordinated and informed decisions cannot be made orcommunicated in a timely manner. Implementation of a real-time sensornetwork, according to the present invention, improves the responsecapabilities and speed of these limited and specialized resources. Thisnetwork provides broad coordination at local, national, and globallevels.

A critical component of the present invention is a wireless sensornetwork. Characteristics of the wireless sensor network include:

-   -   rapid deployment;    -   reliable data link operation;    -   comprehensive event detection, assessment and tracking;    -   automatic adjustment to multiple background environments;    -   support for both pre and post-event scenarios;    -   redundancy;    -   data security and physical security;    -   multiple sensor types;    -   flexibility for different deployment scenarios;    -   centralized operation for failure detection, maintenance,        configuration and software upgrades; and    -   integrated data transfer and communications.

Sensor Network Architecture

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a sensornetwork, illustrated in FIG. 1, as a flexible open architecture thatserves as a communication platform for multiple deployment scenarios andsensor types. For example, wireless sensors nodes may be used to track,one or more events, such as, a lighting control sensor and/or a chemicalsensor may be employed to take an air sample and measure its properties.A network according to a preferred embodiment, can be deployed to covera whole city, high traffic choke points, high value assets, or deployedlocally in rapid response emergency situations. Wireless sensors can beplaced in various fixed or mobile locations. Typical fixed locationsinclude buildings, poles/towers for power or telephone lines or cellulartowers or traffic lights. The fundamental capability of the sensornetwork, in a preferred embodiment, is real-time operation capability.The system possesses the capability to rapidly detect, locate,characterize, report, track, and respond to events. The key aspects ofthis preferred embodiment are deployment flexibility of the system,seamless scalability from small to large networks, network redundancy,and low cost for dense node placement.

The gateway nodes (GWNs) 105 are distributed within the network toprovide reachback links to existing public or private infrastructuretypes such as cellular, land mobile radio, and wired or wireless IPaccess points. Example standards include GSM, CDMA2000, TDMA, IEEE802.11, IEEE 802.16, APCO Project 25, Ethernet, DOCSIS cable modems, andDSL. A GWN 105 works as both a sensor network data concentrator as wellas a reachback vehicle with existing communication infrastructures (ex.land mobile radio, cellular, broadband data, etc.). In essence, itprovides transparent communications across different physical layers.

In a preferred embodiment, the gateway node 105 can dynamicallyre-assign the primary reachback communication medium based on availableservices. When one network is at capacity, unavailable, or damaged, agateway node 105 can automatically re-route information via an alternateprotocol.

In a preferred embodiment, redundant local servers provide node networkmanagement functions 205 such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol(DHCP) for Internet Protocol (IP) address assignment, Simple NetworkManagement Protocol (SNMP) for device control, and security through anElectronic Key Management System (EKMS). Encryption for unattendeddevices is limited to Type III algorithms such as the advancedencryption standard (AES). More secure encryption schemes can be appliedat higher layers where aggregated data and decision information ispresent. Provisioning of the network bandwidth and network trafficoptimization that is unique to the WLAN 101 clusters is controlled fromthe local server. The provisioning ensures sufficient Quality of Service(QoS) is maintained in the local network 101 such that sensor data fromemergency events do not flood the available bandwidth on the reachbackinfrastructure system 206.

Multi-Waveform Sensor Local Area Network Architecture

The system and method of the present invention provide a wireless sensornetwork to supply responders with event detection information, asillustrated in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, three tiers ofwireless sensor nodes are provided in the network, as illustrated inFIG. 2:

-   -   Gateway node 105 (GWN) supports the transfer of information        between the WLAN 101 and WAN 102 infrastructure. It is a highly        modular design that can be implemented as a fixed or mobile        device. A GWN 105 includes all of the functions of a full        function node FFN 201 (see FIG. 2) and operates from either an        AC or DC power source which may further include an AC or DC        power source backup.    -   Full function node 201 (FFN) operates on the WLAN 102. Each FFN        201 has the capability to coordinate individual piconets        (subnets) within the sensor network and route data through the        network to GWN 105 access points. A FFN 201 can operate from an        AC or DC power source which may further include an AC or DC        power source backup.    -   Reduced function node 202 (RFN) is an ultra-low power, low cost        unit typically operating on battery power. The RFN 202 is a        piconet client (or slave) with massive deployment of units        operating on the WLAN 102.

In a preferred embodiment, the capabilities of the nodes are synonymouswith detection characteristics of the sensors. This is part of themotivation for a three-tiered hierarchical approach. The RFN nodes 202are deployed with a communication range that is balanced with thedetection range of the sensor and desired density of the network. Thisachieves the necessary long battery life and low price points for RFNs202 to support massive deployment. Sensors with more advanced detectionand classification capabilities are assumed herein to be more expensiveand consume more power. These advanced sensor types are coupled with theFFN 201 or GWN 105 nodes where the distribution density is lower. Tosave on node battery life, the sensor radio nodes are put to sleep andwakeup on event detection. The nodes may be powered by any suitablepower source and may include more than one power source. For example,the nodes may be battery powered, fuel cell powered, or solar powered todirectly power operation or to charge their batteries and may include abackup power source of the same or a different type.

The networked gateway node 105 provides a very flexible design for usein multiple novel scenarios such as serving as a repeater in a subwaywhere traditional signals are not present. The concept includes mobilenodes with GWN 105 capability that move throughout the network in areaswhere fixed sensors are not present. Mobile sweeper nodes are includedin the network to roam about providing coverage outside the core networkor in areas between piconets within the network. The mobile nodes can bemounted on vehicles such as squad cars, trucks, and trains, or can behand portable devices. The intent is for mobile nodes to register withand pass data to FFNs 201 located at fixed locations such as trafficlights. Detection events can be reported within the network or directlyto the infrastructure network in the case where the mobile node hasroamed beyond the fixed sensor network (i.e. a rural or suburbansetting). GPS modules can be embedded within the nodes as locationreference points. In a preferred embodiment, the GWN 105 is powered fromcommercial AC with battery backup in fixed location or DC power inmobile application. For handheld devices the batteries are rechargeablesince battery life is on the order of several hours.

In a preferred embodiment, FFNs 201 are mid-tier nodes capable ofoperating as a piconet coordinator or client. An FFN 201 can providemulti-sensor fusion of detection data from low-tier RFN nodes 202,redundant routing of data through the network, and greater link range.FFNs 201 provide piconet (cluster) coordination or they can serve asmore capable replacements for RFNs 202 within the network. The tradeofffor increased capability is increased cost, size, and power consumption.The sensor interface includes the same capabilities as RFNs 202, butthese nodes can be coupled with more advanced, active sensors for eventassessment and tracking. Inter-piconet communications can occur betweenFFNs 201 in a peer-to-peer (P2P) manner. The FFN 201 and GWN 105 nodespossess sufficient processing capabilities to perform correlation ofsensor detection data thus increasing the probability of detection whiledecreasing the probability of false positives.

In a preferred embodiment, RFN nodes 202 are low tier, extremely lowcost, small size, and low power devices. Each RFN node has a low cost,for example each RFN node has less than a $15 bill of material cost. Ina preferred embodiment, these nodes are massively deployed and coupledwith low cost, low power passive sensors. Use scenarios for these nodesinclude mobile wireless sensors for event detection, smart RFID tags totrack mobile personnel and assets or rapid placement of fixed sensorsfor event detection and post-event tracking. All communication from RFNnodes 202 are coordinated through FFN 201 or GWN 105 nodes. Thisconfiguration forms a classic master-slave star topology for each nodecluster, or piconet.

Reliable communications for a wireless sensor network are provided in apreferred embodiment by combining a reliable and secure RF physicallayer with an ad-hoc networking data link layer that isself-configuring, energy efficient, and scaleable to variable sizenetworks. The communication solution of this preferred embodiment

-   -   ensures a reliable and secure RF physical layer connection;    -   exercises adaptable, interoperable waveforms that can satisfy        many different deployment scenarios; and    -   provides data link layer ad hoc networking that supports        priority service, collaborative sensor fusion, and scalability        to variable size networks.

The core communication functionality of each node type is effectivelythe same, but each tier progressively increases capability at theexpense of increased cost and power consumption, in a preferredembodiment. The core framework layer provides a standardized techniquefor packaging sensor data such that it is properly interpreted at alllayers of the system. The GWN nodes 105 are similar to FFN's 201 withadded interface capabilities and software to support stack translationbetween various protocols. The core node stack follows the standard OSImodel commonly found in most internet enabled devices. The key layersthat require unique attention for the present invention are the physicallayer, the ad-hoc link layer, and core framework layer. Choice ofphysical layer determines communication range, synchronization, powerconsumption, node cost, interference immunity (thus reliability),multipath performance, and data rate. The ad-hoc link layer controlsautomatic formation of the network topology, power control, andmaintenance of reliable link connections within the network.

Ad-hoc networking protocols provide mechanisms for automaticconfiguration, rapid deployment, self-healing and redundant data routes,range extension, and energy efficient communications. The ad-hoc networkpasses data node to node throughout the network. This capabilityprovides range extension and allows all fixed or mobile nodes tocommunicate with any other node in the network. The result is a highlyredundant network with multiple routes to gateways that interface toexisting infrastructure communication systems. Information is passed todecision-making centers and is also passed back for dissemination to theresponders roaming within the network. This achieves a totallyintegrated, widely distributed supervision system that serves as acommunication platform for multiple sensor types and also serves as arapid information dissemination system. Decision information passed backthrough the network or through traditional response channels provideson-scene commanders the best response information. In an alternativeembodiment, data can also be passed to traffic information signs, andcan be used for coordination of traffic flow control.

Existing wireless ad-hoc networking with an IP network layer include theIEEE 802.11 standard and IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth). Both standardtechnologies do an excellent job filling the role for which they weredesigned. However, the link protocols do not form the desired networktopology to achieve an optimal deployment solution. Also, the use ofunlicensed spectrum bands allows fast deployment anywhere, anytime, butmay not meet reliability requirements for critical communications. Thesebands are not dedicated and can easily be jammed by other commercialusers.

A preferred embodiment employing a software defined radio leveragesadvanced processing technology to effectively replace multiple radiosthat support specific waveforms with one radio that supports multiplewaveforms. This technology is based on a wideband transceiver coupledwith a programmable processor and a standard software environment suchthat the sensor radio can support multiple waveforms all via softwarecontrol. In the absence of dedicated security spectrum, and with openphysical layer questions remaining in regard to licensed spectrumavailability and interference concerns in unlicensed bands, the systemand method of the present invention provides an adaptable solutioncomprising a single hardware platform with multiple commercial waveformsin a software defined wideband RF transceiver implementation. Thewaveforms supported in a preferred embodiment leverage existingnationwide WAN commercial infrastructure to provide coverage in a timeframe and at cost points not attainable with multiple independentsolutions.

A key requirement of a reliable network solution is redundancy. Multipledata paths to decisions-making authorities are required to ensurecritical communications is achieved. The network of sensor nodes of thepresent invention can be considered a network of micro-routers. Routingin the context of micro-routers faces many of the same challenges oftraditional routers such as routing decisions, route discovery/repair,flow control, power control, etc. However, the size, battery life,throughput, and processing capabilities of a micro-router are orders ofmagnitude smaller than a traditional router.

Multi-Waveform Sensor Nodes

In a preferred embodiment, the wireless sensor network detects andtracks events using widely distributed sensor nodes organized asmultiple ad hoc local area networks. The wireless sensor network hasthree types of sensor nodes

-   -   Gateway Sensor Node (GSN) 105;    -   Full Function Sensor Node (FFN) 201; and    -   Reduced Function Sensor Node (RFN) 202.

The wireless sensor network typically supports data for the followingWAN 102 waveforms:

-   -   APCO Project 25 for VHF (136-174 MHz), UHF (406-512 MHz) and        700/800 (764-869 MHz);    -   Cellular/PCS 800 MHz for GSM/GPRS, ANSI-95B;    -   Cellular/PCS 900 MHz for GSM/GPRS, ANSI-95B;    -   Cellular/PCS 1800 MHz for GSM/GPRS, ANSI-95B;    -   PCS 1900 MHz for ANSI-95B, GSM/GPRS 1900, EDGE 1900,        CDMA20001xRTT;    -   3G Cellular Wideband CDMA    -   Broadband Wireless—IEEE 802.16 and IEEE 802.20;    -   IP over Satellite;    -   IP over Ethernet;    -   IP over Cable;    -   IP over DSL; and    -   iDEN (806-866 MHz).        The wireless sensor network could be adapted to future developed        WAN waveforms.

The wireless sensor network supports data for the following commercialWLAN 101 waveforms and licensed WLAN 101 waveforms with variations forthe ad hoc mesh:

-   -   IEEE 802.11b/g/a;    -   IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth);    -   IEEE 802.15.3;    -   IEEE 802.15.3a (ultra wideband);    -   IEEE 802.15.4;    -   IEEE 802.15.4a (ultra wideband);    -   4.9 GHz band for Public Safety; and    -   5.9 GHz and for Intelligent Transportation System.        The wireless sensor network could be adapted to future developed        WLAN waveforms.

Each sensor node comprises an embedded processor, wideband transceiver,software defined radio and sensor interface as shown in FIG. 3. Eachnode processes sensor information and transfers data to an operationscenter via the wireless sensor network.

The main processor of the radio assembly includes a General PurposeProcessor (GPP) 301 and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 302.

The transceiver 303 includes the transmitter 304 and receiver 305chains, RF switch 306 and embedded antennas 307. The sensor interface308 provides DC power 309, RS-232 serial bus 310 for control and lowspeed data, and a sensor acquisition interface for analog 311 and highspeed digital data 312.

The power interface 313 includes power control to the transceiver 314,DSP 315 and GPP 301, and the power sensing circuit 317 that controls theprocessor and sensor power switches 318.

Physical interfaces are as follows:

-   -   Power I/O includes power, ground, and temperature sensor to        power interface;    -   Sensor I/O includes power, ground, and serial RS-232. The actual        interface will be dependent on the specific sensor; and    -   Transceiver I/O includes power, ground, Tx serial data, and Rx        serial data. It also includes discrete signals for reference        clock, Tx/Rx, Tx power, RSSI, and AGC control.        There is a board level serial and/or Ethernet connection on the        processor board for software development, debug and factory        programming.

The logical decomposition of functionality of a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The three maincomponents of the logical architecture are the Transceiver 314, DSP 315,and General Purpose Processor (GPP) 301.

The GPP 301 is the primary controller for the sensor node. From acontroller perspective it handles all power up initialization,configuration, diagnostics, and all dynamic configuration control forthe sensor board. From a data processing perspective it effectivelyhandles the MAC layer 401 processing and upper layers. Data receivedfrom the sensor comes directly to the GPP 301. The sensor applicationdata is packaged in the appropriate data sheet format 402, stored, andtransferred over a link when queried.

Processing intensive operations are handled in the DSP 315. The GPP 301in general does the decision-making about what to do with a data frameand control the timing, whereas the DSP 315 handles the data processingalgorithms, data encryption, and the assembly and parsing of the frames.Error correction codes encode 403 transmit data and correct bit errorsin the received data. Interleaver 404 protect against fades bydistributing adjacent bits such that burst errors do not corrupt entirewords and give the forward error correction (FEC) codes a better chanceof correcting the errors. The modulation block 405 provideschannelization between piconets and can also be used as a spreadingcode. The data decode block 406 keeps frame synchronization and uses themodulation codes to perform the appropriate channel decode.

The sensor network nodes support multiple sensor types such astemperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed, voltage, current, lighting,chemical, biological, radiological, explosive, acoustic, magnetic,seismic, micro-radar motion and imaging for tracking one or more eventtypes.

The WLAN 101 and WAN 102 waveforms support quality of service (QoS) toallow mixing of data types such as data, video and digital voice on thewireless sensor network.

All nodes interoperate with commercial equipment when operating withstandard waveforms.

A GWN node 105 supports one or more instantiations of the WLAN 101waveforms and two or more instantiations of the WAN 102 waveformssimultaneously. A GWN node 105 supports a primary and secondary WAN 102waveform. It automatically switches to the secondary when the primary isnot available. It automatically switches from the secondary to theprimary when the primary is available. There is no data loss when theGWN 105 switches between the primary and secondary waveforms. Gatewaysensor nodes (GWN) 105 support a network of:

-   -   nodes scattered in pseudo random fashion including GWN 105, FFN        201 and RFN 202 nodes;    -   Route table for IP addresses;    -   multiple environments including rural, desert, mountain, forest,        and urban areas.        -   Internet standard IPv4 and IPv6;        -   standard Internet protocols including DNS and DHCP for            automatic provisioning;        -   Internet standard NTP for network time distribution;        -   Internet standard SNMP for record-keeping, fault reporting,            diagnostics, application download and configuration;        -   providing the MIB II in accordance with RFC 1213 and            registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority            (IANA) as a private enterprise MIB, structured in accordance            with the Structure of Management Information (SMI) and its            objects encoded with International Organization for            Standardization's (ISO) Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1)            method using the Basic Encoding Rules (BER) to provide            access to the functions and associated variables that            support configuration, control, and monitor functions;        -   Internet security standards for authorization,            authentication, encryption, and key management;        -   private key management;        -   advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption standards; and        -   FIP-140-1 Level 1 compliance.            GWN sensor nodes 105 include an Ethernet interface to            sensors. During the loss of prime power, the GWN 105 is            capable of retaining all configuration parameters stored or            in operation at the time. The WLAN and WAN of the GWN 105            operate independently. A GWN node 105 operates on WAN 102            and WLAN 101 at the same time without degradation of            specified performance of any operating waveform. A GWN 105            node is able to receive a GPS signal from an external GPS            receiver. A GWN 105 node allows automatic retransmission and            routing operations between waveforms.

An FFN node 201 supports one or more instantiations of the WLAN 101waveforms simultaneously. A FFN node 201 operates as a client or apiconet coordinator. It operates as a client if a piconet coordinatorexists within its RF range. It operates as a piconet coordinator if apiconet coordinator does not exist. It automatically switches betweenclient and coordinator within the constraints of the corresponding WLAN101 standard. An FFN 201 node supports a low power sleep mode asprovided by each waveform protocol to conserve power. Full Functionsensor nodes 201 (FFN) support a network of:

-   -   nodes scattered in pseudo random fashion including GWN 105, FFN        201 and RFN 202 nodes;    -   Route table for node addresses; and    -   multiple environments including rural, desert, mountain, forest,        and urban areas.        FFN sensor nodes 201 may include an Ethernet interface to        sensors. During the loss of prime power, the FFN 201 is capable        of retaining all configuration parameters stored or in operation        at the time. An FFN node 201 allows automatic retransmission and        routing operations between waveforms.

An RFN node 202 supports one instantiation of the WLAN 101 waveforms. AnRFN node 202 operates as a piconet client on the WLAN 101 waveforms. AnRFN 202 node supports a low power sleep mode as provided by eachwaveform protocol to conserve power. Reduced Function sensor nodes 202(RFN) supports a network of:

-   -   nodes scattered in pseudo random fashion; and    -   multiple environments including rural, desert, mountain, forest,        and urban areas.

All nodes have enough memory to support download of a new waveformwithout affecting operation of current waveforms. All waveforms aredown-loadable, locally and over the air, and stored in non-volatilememory.

In general, regardless of type, sensor nodes have safeguards to reducethe possibility of unintentional reprogramming and to preclude thepossibility of software storage errors. The operator is notified when alocal or over the air download has successfully completed or failed.Waveforms are authenticated when they are locally or over the airdownloaded into a sensor node. Sensor nodes have storage capacity tostore presets and configuration information for each waveform stored.Provisions are included to prevent instantiating a waveform to animproperly configured channel. The sensor node provides positiveconfirmation to the operator following each successful instantiation.Sensor network nodes automatically self-organize into a robust, adaptivenetwork for the WLAN 101 waveforms identified. Sensor network nodes 100automatically reorganize to provide a reliable network made up ofunreliable sensor nodes. Sensor nodes include serial and may include USB2.0 interface to sensors. Sensor nodes support:

-   -   automatic provisioning;    -   network time distribution;    -   record-keeping, fault reporting, diagnostics, application        download and configuration;    -   Internet security standards for authorization, authentication,        encryption, and key management;    -   private key management;    -   advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption standards;    -   FIP-140-1 compliance;    -   built-in test and diagnostics to verify operation.    -   amplitude, frequency, spatial and time discrimination techniques        for anti-jamming;    -   channel configuration/reconfiguration within the specified        combinations of waveforms identified;    -   changing a channel waveform, changing the channel operating        parameters; monitor channel performance, and turning a channel        on/off without affecting the operation of other waveforms; and    -   automatic power control to minimize interference with other        nodes.

After an unexpected power loss, or operator controlled shut down, andupon restoration of power to the radio set(s), each sensor node iscapable of completing a components diagnostics test and automaticrecovery. A sensor node transmitter sustains no damage when the RFoutput port(s) is open or shorted. A sensor node allows the operator toload time manually or over-the-air. Sample rate and reporting of sensorsare configurable from 1 per second to 1 per day.

Sensor Node Management

In a preferred embodiment the present invention includes a Sensor NodeManagement function 205 that provides supervision, status and controlthat is unique to operation of multiple WLAN 101 clusters. This mayinclude such functions as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol addressassignment, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for device statusand control, security through an Electronic Key Management System andover-the-air reprogramming (OTAP). Encryption for unattended devices islimited to Type III algorithms such as the advanced encryption standard(AES). The Sensor Node Management 205 includes:

-   -   WLAN network 101 supervision to insure reliable operation of the        nodes. This includes operator displays at multiple levels to        provide user to drill down from the network level to the node        level.    -   WLAN network 101 node link and traffic supervision and        reconfiguration to optimize operation of each cluster    -   WLAN network 101 site planning to determine optimum location of        gateway nodes based on signal strength of RF links and traffic        profiles.    -   node location based on geolocation algorithm    -   node configuration/reconfiguration within the specified        combinations of waveforms identified;    -   changing a channel waveform, changing the channel operating        parameters; monitor channel performance, and turning a channel        on/off without affecting the operation of other waveforms; and        over-the-air reprogramming    -   power control to minimize interference with other nodes    -   SNMP for record-keeping, fault reporting, diagnostics,        application download and configuration;    -   Internet security standards for authorization, authentication,        encryption, and key management;    -   advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption standards;    -   private key management and distribution; and    -   standard interface to the Network Operations Center (203) such        as XML.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made, and equivalentsmay be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the truescope of the present invention. Furthermore, the functions performed bythe software and geolocation algorithm referred to above may beperformed by commercially available computer programs. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt the teaching of the present inventionto a particular situation without departing from its central scope.Therefore it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated forcarrying out the present invention, but that the present inventioninclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A scaleable wireless self-organizing ad hoc mesh sensor networkcomprising: a plurality of multi-waveform sensor nodes comprisinggateway nodes and non-gateway nodes that are located locally to oneanother, wherein said sensor nodes include wireless radio and sensors todetect and track events; at least one wireless local area networkcluster configured to establish and maintain at least one of acommercial and a proprietary ad hoc link and routing protocol thatoperationally connects said plurality of sensor nodes automatically,said sensor nodes being located in either one mobile WLAN cluster ormultiple, geographically separated mobile WLAN clusters having no fixedinfrastructure; an operations center connected to each of said gatewaynodes using at least one standard wide area network protocol; and acentral sensor node manager connected to said operations center using atleast one standard wide area network protocol, wherein each clusterincorporates both said gateway nodes and said local non-gateway nodes,the local non-gateway nodes within each cluster each acting asmicro-routers by passing data node-to-node through one of a plurality ofpossible redundant, non-predetermined multipath RF link paths to one ofthe gateway nodes, the one of the gateway nodes is configured to, inresponse to said passing data, transmit the data to said central sensornode manager and wherein further; some nodes are configured to bestationary while other nodes including at least one gateway node foreach cluster are mobile during operation of the network, each stationarynode and each mobile node in the network is configured to communicatethrough an alternate mesh network pathway to a target node in thecluster in response to detecting that said target node is not withinline of sight of said node, said central sensor node manager isconfigured to: perform site planning for the network using sensor datatransmitted node-to-node through at least one path to a stationary ormobile gateway node and from that gateway node to the central sensornode manager to determine the optimum location of gateway nodes for eachWLAN cluster based on traffic profiles and one-way received signalstrength of RF links from neighbor nodes within that cluster; channelizeeach stationary and each mobile node in each WLAN cluster in the networkbased on time slot allocation using sensor data transmitted node-to-nodethrough at least one of the paths to a gateway node within each clusterand from that gateway node to the central sensor node manager; adjust RFpower levels of stationary nodes in each WLAN cluster in the network atthe central sensor node manager using sensor data transmittednode-to-node through at least one path to a stationary or mobile gatewaynode within each cluster and from that gateway node to the centralsensor node manager so as to provide overlapping RF coverage betweenstationary nodes and their neighbor nodes within each WLAN cluster;determine the location of mobile nodes within each WLAN cluster in thenetwork at the central sensor node manager by using a geolocationalgorithm applying data transmitted node-to-node through at least one ofthe paths to a gateway node within each cluster and from that gatewaynode to the central sensor node manager; and configure and reconfigureparameters for all of the stationary and mobile nodes within each WLANcluster in the network based on information provided from all of thenodes within the network using a specified combination of identifiedwaveforms.
 2. The network of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensornode types comprises at least one selected from the group consisting oftemperature sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, wind speed sensor,voltage sensor, current sensor, lighting sensor, chemical sensor,biological sensor, radiological sensor, explosive sensor, acousticsensor, magnetic sensor, seismic sensor, micro-radar motion sensor, andimaging sensor.
 3. The network of claim 1, wherein each node is poweredby at least one power source selected from the group consisting of ACpower or DC power wherein the DC power source may be battery, solar orfuel cell or any other source of DC power.
 4. A central sensor nodemanager for at least one network of sensors supervised at a NetworkOperation Center comprising: at least one or more wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) node clusters for each network of sensors, said at leastone WLAN node cluster incorporating said network of sensors, comprisinggateway nodes and non-gateway nodes that are located locally to oneanother, some nodes configured to be stationary while other nodes,including at least one gateway node for each cluster are mobile duringoperation of the network and are configured to communicate through analternate mesh network pathway to a target node in the cluster inresponse to detecting that said target node is not within line of sightof said node; a wireless local area network cluster configured toestablish and maintain at least one of a commercial and a proprietary adhoc link and routing protocol that operationally connects said networkof sensors automatically, a database configured to receive and storedata related to each of the WLAN clusters; at least one server means formanaging each said WLAN node cluster; security means configured tohandle encryption and key distribution for communications among WLANclusters; a radio interface to relay information between the sensor nodemanager and the Network Operation Center using at least one standardwide area network protocol; and a controller configured to: perform siteplanning for the network using sensor data transmitted node-to-nodethrough at least one path to a stationary or mobile gateway node andfrom that gateway node to the central sensor node manager to determinethe optimum location of gateway nodes for each WLAN cluster based ontraffic profiles and one-way received signal strength of RF links fromneighbor nodes within that cluster; channelize each stationary and eachmobile node in each WLAN cluster in the network based on time slotallocation using sensor data transmitted node-to-node through at leastone of the paths to a gateway node within each cluster and from thatgateway node to the central sensor node manager; adjust RF power levelsof stationary nodes in each WLAN cluster in the network at the centralsensor node manager using sensor data transmitted node-to-node throughat least one path to a stationary or mobile gateway node within eachcluster and from that gateway node to the central sensor node manager soas to provide overlapping RF coverage between stationary nodes and theirneighbor nodes within each WLAN cluster; determine the location ofmobile nodes within each WLAN cluster in the network at the centralsensor node manager by using a geolocation algorithm applying datatransmitted node-to-node through at least one of the paths to a gatewaynode within each cluster and from that gateway node to the centralsensor node manager; and configure and reconfigure parameters for all ofthe stationary and mobile nodes within each WLAN cluster in the networkbased on information provided from all of the nodes within the networkusing a specified combination of identified waveforms.
 5. The manager ofclaim 4 wherein each said server means provides Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol for Internet Protocol address assignment, SimpleNetwork Management Protocol for device control, and security through anElectronic Key Management System and further allocates network bandwidthfor each said cluster.
 6. The node manager of claim 4 wherein saidinterface is a standard XML interface.